Healthy Water, Healthy People: New Brunswickers’ concerns and attitudes about fresh water and preparedness for extreme weather events
A majority of New Brunswick citizens are very concerned about water pollution, according to a new comprehensive survey conducted by our Director of Climate Change and Energy Solutions, Dr. Louise Comeau, on New Brunswickers’ concerns and attitudes about fresh water and preparedness for extreme weather events
The poll found that 79 per cent of those asked said they were worried about pollution going into rivers, lakes and streams, both of which is allowed by the Department of Environment and illegal dumping and runoff.
Survey questions focused on freshwater perspectives in the province and our attitudes on preparedness in the face of extreme weather.The 500-person survey, conducted for the Conservation Council by Corporate Research Associates, also found 70% of New Brunswickers strongly believe governments are mismanaging fresh water.
While clean water clearly is a health and natural resource concern for New Brunswickers, there is less awareness of the water-related impacts and risks associated with a changing climate. Seventy-seven percent of respondents believe they are not at risk of flooding or drought, with only 28% believing that their family is likely or very likely at risk of flooding; 36% believe the same about post-tropical storms or hurricanes. When asked if they are worried about a range of extreme weather events, respondents showed low levels of worry, with 21% worried or very worried about floods; 21% about post-tropical storms and hurricanes; 12% drought; and 34% ice and hail storms.
New Brunswickers also show a low level of preparedness for extreme events like flooding (29%); post tropical storms and hurricanes (25%); 15%, droughts; and 35% ice and hail storms. When asked how prepared residents feel to deal with the consequences of extreme events, 25% of respondents feel prepared or very prepared to be displaced from their home; 31% prepared for a loss of drinking water; and 45% a loss of power. Given the recent 2017 ice storm in the Acadien Peninsula leaving many without power, heat and safety for over 10 days, these results are a concern.
The Conservation Council believes survey results underscore the need for government leadership both on cleaning up, and preventing, pollution being released into our precious waterways and on investing in infrastructure and preparedness to protect citizens and communities from the risks of extreme weather resulting from climate change. Figure 4 shows a concerning level of “very unlikely” to affect my family either currently or in future.
This survey remedies the issue of larger, national surveys that tend to combine results for all maritimes provinces by limiting data analysis on small numbers of regional respondents.
It’s no surprise the most cited word was “clean” and “beauty” when respondents were asked what they loved most about their favourite lake, river or stream in New Brunswick. When asked what worried them, the most cited word was “pollution” and other associated words like “contamination.”
In New Brunswick, 44% of residents said they have experienced a boil water order. That’s double the national average of 24%. This information ties into respondents attitudes over water quality concerns and the requirement for greater investment in infrastructure, along with more help from the powers that be, with 92% of respondents believing we need to invest in drinking water supply.
- Download Dr. Louise Comau’s complete report: Healthy Water, Healthy People: New Brunswickers’ concerns and attitudes about fresh water and preparedness for extreme weather events